Q&A

Do I need a special permit to do medical pedicures?

I’m a manicurist. Do I need a special permit to do medical pedicures? I don’t want to work in a podiatrist’s office, but I would love to remove ingrown nails. What do you recommend?

A.

There is no such thing as a medical pedicure in a salon setting. There is no permit or certification that will allow you to do a medical pedicure without you working for a podiatrist. A medical pedicure is the delivery of aesthetic routine foot care to high-risk patients by specially trained technicians under the direction of a physician. Don’t call them medi-pedis unless you want to lose referrals from medical professionals or attract the attention of the state. Don’t use the word “medical” in your marketing unless you are telling the public you are referring to a medical professional. The treatment of an ingrown toenail should be done by a doctor in a doctor’s office. The management of an inverted toenail can be done easily using the correct filing and shaping technique focusing on the undersides of the sidewall of the nail.

— Athena Elliott, MNT, is owner of SPAthena (www.SPAthenA.com) in Houston and a host of Nail Talk Radio.